Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1887-02-10
CHAPTER XIV.

HOW T. BECAME UNFINISHED BUSINESS.
The closing of the - congress was not I'M
like the closing of the several preceding con.
crosses There was the same unbusiness-like,
impractical haste; the same hurried, unjust
and utterly inadequate adjustment of unfin-
ished, ill-digested business, that would not have
been tolerated for a moment by the sovereign
people in any private interest they con-
troled. There were frauds rushed through; /;
there were long g-suffering, righteous demands
shelved; there were honest, unpaid debts dis
honored by scant appropriations; there were
closing scenes which only the saving sense of
American humor kept from being utterly
VILE The actors, the legislators themselves,
knew it, and laughed at it; the commentators,
tue press, knew it and laughed at it; the
audience, the great American people, knew 1t
and laughed at it. And nobody for an IN
slant conceived that it ever, under any cir
cumstances, might be otherwise.
The claim of RoScommOn was among the
unfinished business. The claimant himself,
haggard, pathetic importune and obstinate,
was among the unfinished business. Various
congressmen, more or less interested in the
success of the claim, were among the unfn-
ished business. The member from Fresno,
who had changed his derringer for speech
against the claimant, was among the unfin-
+o1 Coo
in his soul over certain other unfinished busi-
ness in the shape of his missing letters, but
dropping oil and honey as he mingled with
his brothers, was king of misrule and lord OF
the unfinished business. Pretty Mrs Hopkln-
son, prudently escorted by her husband, but
imprudently ogled by admiring congressman,
lent the charm of her presence to the finishing
of unfinished business. One or two editors,
who had dreams of finished financial busl-
ness. arising out of unfinished business, were
there also, like ancient bards, to record with
pecan or threnody the completion OF un1ln-
isbed business. Various unclean birds, scent
ing carrion in unfinished business, lowered in
tle nails OF TOOSltu III thO iOcoy'
The lower house, under the tutelage OF the
gifted Gashwiler, drank deeply of Roscom-
mon and his intoxicating claim, and passed
the half-empty bottle to the senate as unhn-
ished business But, alas! in the very rush,
and storm. and tempest of the diminishing
business. an unlooked-for interruption arose
in the person of great senator whose power
none could oppose, whose right to free ana
extended utterance at all times none could
gainsay. A claim for poultry, violently
seized by the army of Sherman during hls
march through Georgia, from the hencoop Oh
an alleged loyal Irishman, opened a consutu-
tional question, and with it the lips OF the
great senator.
For seven hours he spoke eloIuently, earn
estlv. convincingly. For seven hours the ola
issues of party and policy were severaily
taken lid and dismissed in the old forcihle rhe-
toric that had early made him famous. inter-
r1ptions from other senator's, now forge'Iui
of unfinished business, and wild with ream-
mated party zeal; interruptions from certain
senators mindful of unfinished business ana
unable TO pass the Roscommon bottle, only
snurred him to fresh exertion. Inc tocsin
sounded in the senate was heard IN the lower
house. Highly excited members congrega'eu
ot the doors of the senate and left unilnlsheu
business to take care of itself.
Ieft Tn itself for seven hours, unfinished
h,,s;neSs onashed its false teeth and tore us
w;o in impotent fury in corridor ana haiL